Saturday, September 19, 2009

A Close Call

"His lightening lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles."
- Psalm 97:4

Tonight I came the closest I have ever been (or would like to be) to lightening. Katie, Noah, and I were on our way home when a torrential downpour began. It was one of those where you have to drive 2 mph with your wipers on full blast and you still can barely see the hood of your car. We were almost home when we were suddenly surprised with a brilliant POW! Lightening struck a transformer immediately to our left. We were so close that we nearly drove through the firestorm of sparks that fell into the road.

It made me think about the insanely unfortunate man from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" who managed to get struck by lightening seven times before he died at a ripe old age. It also made me think of Martin Luther who was caught (walking!) in a thunderstorm and promised God he would become a monk if he were spared his life. He was and he did, thankfully for us.

The rain is still pouring outside our house, and the thunder is still raging overhead. I told Noah that we are safe now that we are in our house. (Our close call made him a bit nervous.) In a sense, I hope that's true. It would be a good thing to feel safer than that hapless old man in a thunderstorm. It would not be such a good thing, however, to feel safer than Luther at the cost of our fear and wonder of the One whose lightening lights up the world.

May we see and tremble.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment